News Stories

The federal judges of the Eastern District of Virginia have delayed implementation of the new Local Rules until Feb. 1. The rules had been scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, but printing delays hampered their publication, said U.S. District ...

Charity can be heartwarming, and if done properly it can yield tax dividends. One way for clients to save both estate and income taxes on money going to charity is to use an IRA or 401(k) as a conduit for ...

A department store can garnish the earnings of a debtor to satisfy a judgment for a VCR and a ring she bought after she filed a Chapter 13 petition, a Norfolk bankruptcy judge has ruled. Although creditors cannot touch money ...

Guest Column by J. Dickson Phillips III Your case has been ordered to mediation. You think this is good because you believe the opposing party’s case cannot hold up when forced into the light of day. You are sure the ...

Federal driving suspension creates double jeopardy A one-year suspension of driving privileges on a military base for drunken driving creates double jeopardy when the defendant is later tried on criminal DUI charges, a federal judge has ruled in Alexandria. The ...

As a tool for settling divorce cases, mediation is on the forefront, but some lawyers may resist it as giving away their business. As an intermediate option, those skeptics might consider lawyer-assisted mediation. Virginia Beach lawyer Winship C. Tower, chair ...

NORFOLK–Two defendants charged in a crack distribution ring have asked that charges be dismissed because authorities selectively prosecuted blacks in the alleged conspiracy, while leaving whites unindicted. The widely followed case may be decided by a showdown between the judge ...

Defense attorneys may be able to use selective prosecution as a defense in other drug conspiracy cases, but they will need to do a little leg work. In U.S. v. Olvis, the two defense attorneys developed two key sources of ...

In an unusual move, legislators next month will call an open hearing on the reelection of Hanover Juvenile & Domestic Relations Judge Nina K. Peace. The forum will follow closed-door questioning by lawmakers earlier this month. Peace is one of ...

I have a confession to make: I’m not a lawyer. I haven’t even played one on T.V. So as a self-respecting journalist, when I needed to learn more about the law, I did a little research. In the days of ...